Exploring the nexus between Indian forestry and the Sustainable Development Goals

Forests are considered as a sacred asset in India and have guided the way of living throughout its history.Indian forests not only accommodate the myriad species but also act as a survival support system to the communities that depended on them.The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development proposed by the United Nations(UN)has gained momentum and becomes an integral part of the recent efforts of Indian governance.In this investigation,we examined the potential nexus between Indian forestry system(biodiversity-enriched assets,ecosystem services,constitutional mechanisms,and governances)and Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)through theoretical underpinnings from literature that selected from database like Google Scholar,Indian forest survey reports,and information retrieved from Indian government websites.The significance of this review is that it presents comprehensive information about Indian forestry,biodiversity-rich assets,and sustainable forest management practices.The results show that Indian forestry as a whole is an integral part of the food-energy-water cycle and contributes to all dimensions of sustainable development,i.e.,economic sustainability,social sustainability,and environmental sustainability.The investigation confirms that besides partly contributing to the economy and life support systems to many dependent species,forests also act as boosters in the areas of food security and health.Targets related to the climate action,peace,and partnership goals are well in place through various forestry interventions and environmental commitments by the Government of India.

Rational Harvesting Policy and Sustainable Development of Community in Forest Regions

Forest ecosystem is one of the most important ecosystems in the world that human-beings rely on. Forest harvesting policy is one of the main criteria indicating how and how much the human beings open up and make use offorest. Whether the policy is reasonable or not has high relations with not only the increasing or decreasing of forest system,but also the development speed of human society. In this paper, the author analyzed the development of interaction between human society and forest ecosystem from ancient times to today. Then author stated that the rational harvesting policy should be the harvesting sequences of both harvesting density and harvesting time, which might result in the maximumcomprehensive benefit, including economical profit, social benefit and ecological benefit, of forest to human society. Atlast, according to the analysis of interaction bctween human-beings and her environment, the prediction analysis for humansociety development in forest regions in the future was prescnted using Entropy Growing Analysis.

Forest parks and sustainable development of ecotourism in China

In the spirit of the trend toward opening and reforming China, the State Forestry Administration has taken advantage of the opportunity to improve forest parks and develop forest-based ecotourism. The State Forestry Administration has experienced great success in a short time. By 1997, the State Forestry Administration had built 874 forest parks, with a total area of 7.48×10~6 hm^2. More than 50 000 000 tourists visited the parks each year. The forest parks have become the new focus of forest-based ecotourism in China. This success demonstrated that the use of forest resources and the development of tourism had moved into a new period. To assure the healthy growth of forest-based ecotourism in China, based on the theory of sustainable development, we have made several suggestions about how to improve forest parks and develop forest-based ecotourism. Our recommendations are grounded in the principles of resource protection, moderate exports of forest products, and recognition of the special character of individual park.

Research on Converting Cultivated Land into Forests and Regional Sustainable Development

The capability of sustainable development of Wuchuan County is evaluated comprehensively with theories and methods of regional sustainable development capability evaluation, which are extensively applied at home and abroad. The results indicate that the developing speed and patterns of Wuchuan County cannot satisfy the demand of the regional sustainable development. Moreover, the patterns, distributions, tree species, growing patterns, and other aspects must consider the restriction of ecological water utilization. It is put forward that the standards for selecting the converting lands are slope, desertification degree, and rainfall.In addition, the control of soil erosion and the prevention of land desertification are selected as the dualpurpose of the converting project.

Spatial analysis of synergies and trade-offs between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa

Challenges faced by African countries in achieving the goals of sustainable development are similar and trans-boundary. Previous analysis of Africa’s progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has largely beennon-spatial, reducing the ability to find spatial relationships between countries and SDGs to help cooperationand proffer country-specific interventions. This study adopted techniques of exploratory and inferential spatialstatistics to assess the successes of African countries from 2016 to 2020 in achieving the goals of sustainable de-velopment. Also, the study sought to understand how the spatial synergies and trade-offs between SDGs vary percountry and time. The results revealed that spatial hotspots of countries with high SDGs scores were mostly con-fined to northern African countries with significant coldspots within central and eastern Africa and few patchesin western and southern Africa for 2016. In 2020, the number of countries forming hotspots reduced, with Cen-tral African countries as significant cold spots. Five main spatial relationships: positive linear, negative linear,concave, convex and undefined complex, were found among countries and the SDGs. However, these spatialrelationships were fluid as they changed over time and with different levels of influence from 2016 to 2020.The study concludes that generic solutions and policies by development agencies, governments, developmentfinance instiutions and other impact investors will not be enough in achieving the SDGs because of the spatialheterogeneity of the continent. Tailored and country-specific policies based on results of spatial statistics matter.

Possible use of Lingula sp.(Phylum Brachiopoda)as a dissemination strategy to promote sustainable development in Fangchenggang mangrove,China

The economic marketability of a brachiopod,Lingula was studied at three coastal mangrove sites,specifically based on socioeconomic parameters from 10 villages that utilized Lingula along Pearl Bay,Beilun Estuary Marine Nature Reserve,China.The significantly highest density of Lingula was at Jiao Dong(48.2±35.14 individual/m^2)whereas the biomass of Lingula was highest(0.76±0.22 g/individual)at Gui Lao Bu.The shell size of the largest specimen was still less than that in other references.The socioeconomic study of the population related to Lingula involved a small group,and no relationship could be determined among the parameters of age range,education level,occupation,and financial status.The total economic value(320,927.4 Yuan)was based on the value of consumption whereas the value from sales was very low as recorded from Shan Xin over a three-month season.Analysis of the results to determine strengths,weaknesses,opportunities,and threats was undertaken to identify the potential of Lingula sp.to be promoted and supported in the market as a novel source of income for the local community who are associated with mangrove resources;and also to examine its potential as a new food source for the rapidly growing population of China.

Hot Issues and Trends of Global Forestry Development

With acceleration of economic globalization,ecological problem becomes increasingly prominent,and forestry and forest issues become world concerns.Since 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,sustainable forest management(SFM)becomes a subject of times,and hot issues,such as climate change,assessment of forest resource,biomass energy of forestry,combating illegal timber and relevant international forest product trade,gradually become world concerns.This paper sum up these hot issues,analyzes background and current situations of forestry development,and discusses the development trends of global forestry.

Potentials for win-win alliances among animal agriculture and forest products industries:Application of the princi-ples of industrial ecology and sustainable development

Commercial forests in many parts of the world are deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrient-deficient forests often exist in close proximity to large animal feeding operations, meat processing and other food, textile, or other biomass-processing plants, and municipal waste treatment facilities. Many of these facilities produce large surpluses of nitrogen,phosphorus, and organic matter as gaseous ammonia, urea, uric acid, phosphorus compounds,bacterial sludges, and partially treated municipal wastewaters. These co-existing and substantial nutrient deficiencies and surpluses offer ready-made opportunities for discovery, demonstration,and commercial development of science-based, technology-facilitated, environmentally sound,economically viable, and socially acceptable "win-win alliances" among these major industries based on the principles of industrial ecology and sustainable development. The major challenge is to discover practical means to capture the surplus nutrients and put them to work in forest stands from which value-added products can be produced and sold at a profit.

A database framework of digital forestry towards sustainable forestry development in China

Six forestry scientific and technological projects being actualized in China were the implementations of ecological construction and security, development of forestry biological technique and fine variety cultivation, protection and utilization of forest biological germplasm resources, development of forestry bio-industry and digital forestry, and construction of forestry innovation ability. Among them, digital forestry was an effective measure to improve the ability of forestry innovation, to realize resources sharing, and to develop sustainable forestry. Spatial database of digital forestry should be constructed according to the criteria and index system of forest sustainable management. Based on analyzing the status and advances of China's digital forestry construction, a database framework of digital forestry towards sustainable forestry development was studied and established preparatorily. The database was divided into four layers as theory layer, system layer, status layer, and parameter layer. It was concluded that during the process of digital forestry platform construction, the relative social, economic, and politic data should be considered and collected, which meant that the database should represent not only the current forestry development, but also the social, politic, and economic situations. Constructing China's digital forestry information platform under full utilization of idea and index system for sustainable forest management was urgent and important.

Community Forest Management: A Strategy for Rehabilitation, Conservation and Livelihood Sustainability: The Case of Mount Oku, Cameroon

Well-managed forests are major sources of livelihoods for the fringed communities. However, the remoteness, inaccessibility of most forested areas coupled with conflicts from adjacent forest communities, who often depend on it for livelihood is a daunting task in implementing conservation, viz-a-viz the Sustainable Development Goals. The Mt Oku forest is a unique, remote but represents novelty in forest management in remote areas in Cameroon, with devolution of management rights. The forest is well noted for its high level of endemism. This study is focused on the legal, institutional, socio-economic and regulatory framework put in place, for appropriate conservation and livelihood sustenance as forest management rights were devolved to the local community. A multidimensional framework guiding the development of testable hypothesis that assesses the relationship between the forest users’ activities and forest degradation, which have a multiplier effect on the SDGs, was used. The alternate livelihood options/strategies and benefits after the institution of the Forest Management Project (FMP) was examined in randomly selected frontline and secondary villages. Selected Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools and registers from FMIs aided relevant data collection. The results indicated a significant relationship (χ2 = 0.65.4, p = 0.00) between the activities of forest users and forest degradation. Adopted alternate livelihood strategies/options include, direct employment, tourist guides, bee farming, agricultural intensification, agroforestry, capacity building for skill acquisition, selective exploitation and sales of Prunus spp. Forest regeneration strategies ranged from, forest guards, removal of exotic species, forest enrichment, raising nurseries, fire tracing, etc. It is concluded that giving greater access and ownership of forest to the local community in the Mount Oku Region, led to transparency, accountability and social stability, which contributed tremendously both to the recovery and conservation of forest for improved livelihoods. However there is a dire need for the reinforcement of mechanisms for capacity building to improved livelihoods and conservation and the implementation of a system where stakeholders enjoy favorable conditions for information exchange and learning.

Sustainable Management of Planted Forests in China: Comprehensive Evaluation, Development Recommendation and Action Framework

China is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of planted forests area. Planted forests play an important role in soil and water conservation, food source, timber supply and energy security, but there are still many problems waiting for immediate resolution. Based on the current development status of planted forest in China, the paper made an comprehensive analysis for the positive impact and existing problems with regard to planted forests, and then came up with policy recommendations for promoting sustainable management of planted forests, mainly including: 1) to accelerate planted forests development and improve the quality; 2) to strengthen the protection and management, and quicken the development of planted forests; 3) to enhance the scientific planning for planted forests; 4) to reinforce the management for forests harvesting so as to promote the reasonable utilization of planted forests; 5) to perfect the management system for planted forest resources and improve the managerial capacity; 6) to complete related laws and regulations and improve the policy guarantee system; 7) to reinforce the forest tenure reform and establish a sound planted forest land transference system. Finally, the paper presented the future action framework for guiding the sustainable management of planted forests in China.

A pattern for partnership between LMDH and Perhutani to enhance local community prosperity and preserve the forest:a case study at RPH Besowo,Kediri Regency,Indonesia

The deforestation in Indonesia is already alarming.One of the strategies used by the government to overcome forest deforestation is social forestry.This program is called PHBM(Pengelolaan Hutan Bersama Masyarakat/Joint Forest Management) which is basically a partnership program.This study aims at describing the partnership program between a local organization(i.e.LMDH) and a government unit(i.e.RPH of Perhutani) within the PHBM program.The objectives of this study are to(a) describe the model of partnerships between LMDH and RPH Besowo for sustainable forest management and local community empowerment;(b) determine the contribution of the forest to the national economy and rural household income;and(c) determine the obstacles commonly found in Besowo forest that have to be faced during the implementation of the partnerships.The study shows that with good partnership between these two units,the prosperity of the local community can be enhanced and the forest preservation can be maintained.The model of the partnerships in this particular area in Indonesia is expected to be applicable as well in other rural areas in Indonesia,as well as in other developing countries.

Ecosystem Management and Forestry

In this paper, the conceptions and developments of ecosystem and ecosystem ecology were reviewed and summarized. Then, the conception, connotation, objective, and development of ecosystem management were expounded. Based on these discussions, forest ecosystem management was discussed. The viewpoint was that the former unreasonable forest resources management should be changed, and forest ecosystem management was a suitable way to sustainable development of forestry. The chief research contents were also pointed out in this paper.

Saving Dupinga Watershed in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija Philippines: Insights from Community Based Forest Management Model

The world is losing its forest. The study described the multi-sectoral initiatives done to protect the Dupinga watershed. By using Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) as theoretical framework and analytic descriptive method of research, issues and concerns related to watershed protection are discussed. The study argued that the multi-sectoral collaboration of the Local Government Unit of Gabaldon, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Peoples Organizations, Non Government Organizations (NGO) and Community Organization is a CBFM in progress. Alternative source of income and community tourism may strengthen and sustain the multi-stake-holders collaboration existing in the area while capacity building program for community participation and forest management may provide insights for a sustainable watershed protection and management.

Chinese Forest Eco-Network System

Based on the current status of nature, economy and society, and in the light of interconnected patterns of material, energy and information flows, the Forest Eco-Network System in China (CFENS) is to be established to harmonizes the development of human, nature and society in this country, which is of integrity, multi-function, high efficiency and operability, and views the whole mainland as an ecosystem with different big parches consisting of different types of forests, grasslands, flelds, barren hill...

New Positioning of Forest in Green Development

In the 20 years after the UN Environment and Development Conference in 1992,the essential issues in relation to sustainable development have been unsolved.The upcoming "Rio + 20" conference put the focus on the shift towards green development. To achieve this requires the change of some ideologies that dominate human actions,such as the concepts of wealth,welfare and security,and it also require identifying the new position of nature resources, especially the position of forest.It was pointed out in the paper that forest is the foundation of socioeconomic development and constitutes basic wealth,basic welfare and basic security of the whole community under the green development context. Nevertheless,it is a must to aggressively invest and develop green economy.It was also proposed to set up forestry development organizations,investment mechanisms,policy system and research & education system compatible with green development. Moreover,some forestry policies that should be revised were combed.

Global Planted Forest Development: Opportunities,Challenges and Policy Choices

In recent decades, there has seen a dramatic expansion of global planted forest area and their great impact on human life. It is reported in Forest Resource Assessment 2010 that the current area of global planted forests is about 264 million ha, representing only 7% of the total forest area but able to meet the two thirds of the global demand for logs. Planted forests can not only provide timber, fiber, fuel and non-wood forest products, but also contribute to carbon sequestration, restoration of degraded land, landscape rehabilitation and watershed protection. Besides, planted forests can also provide the recreation and amusement for people. In such sense, in the coming decades, planted forests, driven by various factors such as social- economic conditions, market, consumers' demand and new technologies, will have good opportunities for development, and will also increase their contribution to achieving the series of development objectives worldwide. In the meanwhile, the development of planted forests is also constrained by the factors like policies, laws, regulations, technologies and funds, and therefore faced with the challenges in terms of eco- environment preservation, economic development and protection of community interests. Based on the long- term monitoring and research of planted forest development as well as the field study of planted forests abroad, the paper identified the opportunities and challenges in the development of global planted forests through such methods as the SWOT, policy analysis and the others, and proposed the policy choices for promoting the sustainable development of planted forests: 1) There is a need to further understand the functions of planted forests and the importance of the degraded land restoration; 2) A good institutional guarantee and investment environment should be created for the planted forest development; 3) The advanced concepts and methods in terms of the planted forests management should be actively promoted and applied; 4) There is a need to put more focus on environment management and social responsibility; 5) The intensive management of planted forests needs to rely on science and technology support; 6) The international cooperation should be strengthened to jointly facilitate the sustainable development of planted forests.

Strengthening Urban Forest Development Improving Urban Ecological Environment

Since the reform and opening up, urban development in China has entered a period of rapid progress. While making significant achievements, urban environmental problems such asair pollution, heat- island effects, water loss and soil erosion have become increasingly prominent. To speed up the process of urbanization in China, new challenges have been imposed on urban forestdevelopment, urban environment protection and ecological urban development. Aimed at ecological and environment problems existing in urban developmentin China, summarizing Chinese experiencesandlearning from othercountries, scientifically planning urban forest to promote urban ecological development, improving urban forest ecosystem to assure urban ecological safety, carrying on forest cultureto develop urban ecological civilization, have becomethe main tasks and direction for urban forest development in China.

珠三角彩叶林美学文化与功能评价指标体系构建

针对珠三角城市群中广州、深圳、佛山等地及周边地区常见的彩叶树种美学文化功能评价中的关键问题,在文献梳理和理论实践的基础上,运用专家评估法和层次分析原理建立综合指标法,构建包括3个准则层(B1~3)、9个次准则层(C1~9)和27个指标层(D1~27)的评价指标体系,以期有效地评价珠三角彩叶林的美学与文化功能,明确森林城市群生态系统文化服务保护与开发的重点,提升彩色林相营建技术与美丽湾区建设的匹配性与实用性,拓展城市林业和人居环境学科理论的内涵与应用。